An online workshop was held on 9 & 10 May 2023 to discuss the framework of the Lakshadweep Zero Waste Alliance (LOWA). The participants were from Maldives, Sri Lanka and India, representing NGOs, government agencies, academics and waste management-related enterprises.
The event commenced with a presentation on the draft framework of LOWA and presentations on “Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA)” and “PREVENT Waste Alliance” as case studies.
Following the presentations, participants worked in groups and discussed the topics of governing structure; membership categories; benefits for members; functions & activities of the alliance and funding & finances.
Some of the key points from the workshop are summarized below.
- The Alliance should function in an open and transparent manner with accountability
- The regional nature of the Alliance should be considered, hence, the participation and ground realities of the three countries should be factored in
- All wastes and not just plastic waste can be considered and priority sectors can be identified
- Caution should be exercised to make sure the Alliance is not used for greenwashing
- Members can be of different categories membership fees can be charged to specific categories; the overarching benefits include networking, collaboration, knowledge exchange, capacity building and innovation
- The funding for the Alliance can be from a combination of revenue-generating activities and from national and international donor agencies for specific projects
The project will use these inputs to finalize the framework and operationalise the Alliance
